


Objectiontale

by vernacular



Category: Undertale (Video Game), 逆転裁判 | Gyakuten Saiban | Ace Attorney
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crossover, Found Family, Gen, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Temporary Character Death, featuring apollo undertale, ish-- you know how it goes, trucy is papyrus, what more could you want
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-12-17
Packaged: 2019-09-02 01:17:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16776724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vernacular/pseuds/vernacular
Summary: Long ago, two races ruled over Earth: HUMANS and MONSTERS. One day, war broke out between the two races. After a long battle, the humans were victorious. They sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell. Many years later, a young human falls down into a cavern below Mount Turnabout. With only a stick and immense determination, watch them work their way through this… objectionable underground.





	1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 1** \- Humble Beginnings

_Ow._

That is your first coherent thought as you open your eyes, gazing at the cavern around you. You’ve fallen down-- quite a long way too, if that pinprick of light far above you is any indication. Turning your head, you’re met with the sensation of petals tickling your nose. Lifting yourself up and away from that before you can sneeze, you realize a patch of golden flowers had broken your fall. Huh. You’d been expecting the fall to be your end. However, it looks to be just another beginning.

Standing up and dusting yourself off, you look around to gain their bearings. You’ve never seen a cavern like this in person. The rock formations are rather beautiful, or at least you think so. You’re no rock star. You spy a stick leaning against the wall of the cave, and make your way towards it. You’re a little shaky at first, but you regain your proper speed easily.

Lifting the stick in your hands, you note its weight. It’s heavy, but not too heavy, and sharp at one end. It seems like a helpful thing to have, even if you won’t have use for a weapon. Though, with what you’ve heard about this mountain, you may very well need one. You grab it and take it with you. Now you move towards the door at the far end of the little room. You’re departing from whatever you knew, which you’re rather _glad_ about, and journeying into the unknown. You’re ready to take this risk.

*** You’re filled with determination.**

“W-- where did that--” you begin, but just as quickly as the voice had come, it’s gone. You felt something as the voice spoke, though, and that presence lingers. A powerful feeling. _Are_ you filled with determination? You’re not sure. You are sure, however, that you won’t get much done standing around here. Time to move forward.

When you enter the next room, something is up ahead, waiting for you. It’s a golden flower, two of its six petals bent over its face slightly. Oh, it has a face too-- a simple, cartoonish smiley in the center of it. You find it slightly unsettling, but you can’t place why… at least, not until you approach it. When you do, it speaks to you, in a high-pitched, girlish voice. “Hiya! I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower! Hmm… You’re new to the UNDERGROUND, aren’tcha?”

You feel your unease grow in the pit of your stomach, but you shrug it off and nod. You don’t really have other options right now, so you’ll take what you can get. Your grip does tighten around the stick, though.

“Oh, _golly_ , you must be so confused!” says Flowey, tilting her head with an apologetic quality to her smile. “Someone ought to teach you how things work around here. Guess little old me’ll have to do! Ready?”

You’re not really sure what you’re supposed to be ready for, but you nod anyway. You’ll deal, whatever you have to do.

“Great! Here we go!” Flowey cheers, and the world flashes out from underneath you both.

You blink slowly at your new surroundings. You look to be in a dark arena, with green lines running up and down the walls and floor. You’re surrounded by a large white box that seems to _hum_ when you get close to the sides, and from deep within them, you feel a sharp pull. Something bright red and heart-shaped emerges from your chest, glowing and beating softly.

“See that heart?” Flowey says, stem waving gently in time to music you can barely register. “That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being!” You look up at her, now, wide-eyed. Flowey giggles. “Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV.”

“What’s LV stand for?” you mumble, only just loud enough for Flowey to hear.

“Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don’t you?”

“I, uh, guess…”

“Don’t worry, I’ll share some with you!” Flowey winks and sticks her tongue out, and you feel your unease start to build again. Strange, spinning white ovals materialize in the air around the flower. “Down here, LOVE is shared through… little white ‘friendliness pellets’. Are you ready?”

You nod, and Flowey sends the pellets down towards you. “Move around! Get as many as you can!” she exclaims.

You briskly move up towards the pellets, expecting to feel something when you touch the strange objects. You do not expect the feeling to be _pain,_ but it’s what you receive. You can feel energy disperse from your body, the shock of the blow leaving you weak. (HP 01/20.) You’re not exactly sure what that means, but you’re positive it’s not a good thing. It’s hard to process; everything happens so fast that you almost can’t follow it. You look up to Flowey, hurt and betrayed-- and she’s _smiling._ A cruel and wicked grin practically splits the creature’s face.

“You _idiot,_ ” she says, with contempt oozing from every syllable out of her mouth. Her voice has twisted itself into some creepy, double-toned satire of its previous sound. Or maybe, the previous sound was the satire. “In this world, it’s kill or BE killed.” You tremble as those words send a shiver up your spine. Flowey’s grin twitches. “Why would ANYONE pass up an opportunity like this?!”

More pellets, bullets-- _whatever_ they are-- surround you, a vicious circle aimed directly at their SOUL. “ _Die,_ ” says Flowey, and the laugh that follows as the bullets close in is enough to make you want to burst into tears. You weren’t prepared for this. You don’t want to die here.

You don’t.

The bullets suddenly vanish, and you feel your pain alleviate and your strength return. A soft, greenish flame appears at the corner of your field of vision, knocking into Flowey and sending her careening into the darkness. You finally stop shaking, daring to look up at your savior.

You’re greeted with the sight of a tall, motherly dog-like creature. This woman reminds you of a border collie-- she has the fur patterns, the gentle eyes. Her dress is a magenta color, marked with an emblem you have never seen before. The strange beast smiles softly at you, then shakes her head. When she speaks, her voice is kindly. “What a terrible creature, torturing such a poor, innocent youth…”

You stare at the dog woman with a deer-in-the-headlights expression. She seems to notice this. “Ah, do not be afraid, my child. I am MISTY, caretaker of the RUINS.” So that’s what this place is called. “I pass through this place every day to see if anyone has fallen down. You are the first human to come here in a long time.” After a moment’s pause to think, Misty smiles. “Come! I will guide you through the catacombs.”

The dark arena phases itself out, leaving you two back in the room from before, with its lone patch of grass. “This way,” Misty says, and turns on her heel toward the door she must’ve come from. You’re left alone to collect yourself.

You stare ahead for a moment, then shake yourself out vigorously. “What even _was_ that?” you mutter to nothing in particular.

You then heave a sigh. “Guess I better press on.” The RUINS and Misty await you, and you’re not about to test their patience any longer. It’s time.

You step forward and through the next door.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER 2** \- Lying in RUINS

The RUINS are all ancient, imposing pillars and sunset-purple stones. Everything looks weathered but proud, clearly well taken care of. The floor is covered with crinkly red leaves in certain spots. You get the urge to run through them, but shrug it off as you follow Misty towards the stairs. You’re not able to finish following her, however, as you notice the glint of something bright in the center of the double staircases. You move closer to investigate.

The object appears ethereal, a four-pointed star simply floating above the floor, just within your reach. You get the overwhelming compulsion to reach out and touch it. Though your whole brain is screaming not to-- have you learned  _ nothing _ from the encounter with Flowey??-- your SOUL is telling you otherwise. You place your hands on it, and the strange voice from just after you fell echoes again.

*** The shadow of the RUINS looms above, filling you with determination.**

Then, suddenly, you feel an energy flowing back and forth between you and the star. You’re beginning to understand what this  _ determination _ feels like. A strengthened resolve, a strengthened body, even.  **File saved.** These words echo not just from somewhere around you, but within you. You’re not sure what they mean right now, but you get the feeling it’s important.

You move away from the star after a moment more, at last following Misty’s lead up the stairs. The next room is small, with a sealed door at one end. There are six buttons on the floor in some type of patterned arrangement. Misty is there waiting for you-- she looks relieved to see you safe and sound.

“Welcome to your new home, young one.” Woah. That’s a little presumptuous, you think, but you don’t say anything against the statement. Misty was kind enough to get you out of that predicament with Flowey, but you don’t really trust her. Not much, anyway. “Allow me to educate you in the operation of the RUINS,” she says with a smile.

Misty moves over to the buttons and presses the four that aren’t directly on the lighter path running through the center. She then walks up to the wall, flipping a yellow switch that you hadn’t noticed before. After a moment, the door slides open with the scrape of stone against stone as fanfare. “The RUINS are full of puzzles. Ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. One must solve them to move from room to room.” She lifts up a hand to scratch discreetly at her ear. “Please adjust yourself to the sight of them.”

You stare long and hard at the puzzle, then give Misty a thumbs up. She laughs and leaves the room, heading through the newly opened door. You look around the room a little more, tapping your stick against your leg as you go. There’s a plaque in the corner, so you go over and take a look.

“Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones. Both walk not the middle road,” it reads. You don’t understand the inscription at first, but then you look back towards the puzzle and it clicks. The only buttons not pressed were the ones in that lighter section-- the middle road, as it were. You think you might like these puzzles.

Through the next door, you can see that this room is much longer than the first. There’s another plaque in the corner, too. Misty clears her throat, and you jump-- you almost forgot she was there. “To make progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. Do not worry, I have labelled the ones you need to flip.”

You give her another thumbs up and check the plaque regardless. “Stay on the path,” it says. Okay…? You turn and start on the path towards the switches, taking note of the fact that the labelled ones all have paths leading up to them. So  _ that’s _ what the sign meant. You flick both switches.

“Splendid!” says Misty, her face lighting up. “I am proud of you, little one. Let us move to the next room.”

You follow at her heels this time. The positive feedback you’re getting from her is nice… You don’t think you’ve felt this comfortable around an adult in quite some time. It serves to bolster your trust in her and the motherly air she gives off. The next room has a training dummy at the back, and a door to the left of the dummy. You’re not quite sure what the dummy is for, but when you look at Misty’s face, you realize she’s about to tell you.

“As a human living in the UNDERGROUND, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation. However, worry not! The process is simple.” Monsters. So that’s what the creatures you’ve met are, then. You remember in your social studies class, how the teacher mentioned there were a series of connected wars on monsters all over the world several centuries ago. You never really learned  _ why _ those wars happened, or what the monsters were like. All you were taught was that they were bad, and humans eradicated them. You wonder how much they  _ really _ told you about these people.

Misty gestures towards the training dummy. “When you encounter a monster, you will enter a FIGHT. While you are in a FIGHT, strike up a friendly conversation.”

“That seems counterintuitive,” you mutter to yourself. Misty looks surprised, like she overheard you.

“It does look that way, yes,” she begins. Ah. She did overhear you. “However, it is really quite effective! Monsters do like being asked about their day… Stall for time. I will come to resolve the conflict.” She smiles, pleased with her explanation. “Practice talking to the dummy.”

You stare blankly at Misty for a moment. Well, it can’t  _ hurt. _ Besides, she’s being awfully nice to you… Okay. You approach the dummy, and the arena flashes in again. You can hear intense snare drum rattling in your ears as floating buttons appear at your fingertips.

**FIGHT. ACT. ITEM. MERCY.**

The options hang before you, waiting for you to choose one. Misty had said to  _ talk _ to the dummy, not to fight it, so you move your hand over the ACT button and press it. Now you’re presented with two options-- CHECK and TALK. Maybe you should CHECK the dummy first.

*** A cotton heart and a button eye / You are the apple of my eye.**

It’s that voice again. You have a feeling you’re going to be hearing a lot of it down here. At least it’s pleasant to listen to. Nothing further happens, so you try TALKing to the dummy next. 

“Hey, uh, dummy, how was… your day?” You make the most awkward attempt at starting a conversation you think you’ve ever tried.

*** It doesn’t seem much for conversation. Misty seems happy with you.**

You’re not sure what you expected, but at least you made your new mom-friend happy. The makeshift battle ends, and Misty clasps her hands together, pleased.

“Ah, very good! You are very good,” she says, and the two of you move to the next room. The RUINS are truly beautiful, and they’ve grown on you further as you’ve begun to relax. If the entire Underground looked like this, you wouldn’t mind. Misty turns to look at you with bright eyes. “There is another puzzle in this room… I wonder if you can solve it?”

You hope you can. You look around at the path on the floor. It seems to wave up and down a bit, despite there being no obvious hazards in the room. There is a hall to the right, so perhaps if you move through that, you’ll understand. Misty has already headed that way, too. You’re peeking around a bend when you hear shuffling, and something jumps out at you! The arena forms again.

*** Froggit attacks you!**

Standing before your box is a small, froglike monster with a webbed hand up and at the ready. You’re presented with the buttons again-- this must be what you were prepared for. You ACT, then COMPLIMENT the Froggit.

“You have nice eyes!”

*** Froggit didn’t understand what you said, but was flattered anyway.**

You shake your head. It seems it was bold of you to assume every monster is fluent in English just because Misty is. To speak of the devil, she enters the arena, turning a disapproving glare upon the Froggit you were battling. It backs away nervously, and the arena fades out. 

Looking around, you notice there’s a plaque on the wall beside you. Its letters are a bit worn, but you can still read it just fine. “The western room is the eastern room’s blueprint.” Interesting.

When you get to the eastern side of the room, it becomes apparent that these puzzles are a little dangerous. There are spikes on the floor platform, with water surrounding them. Misty stands between you and the puzzle, looking nervous. You approach and tug on her sleeve.

She turns around, a smile clearing the worry from her face-- if only for a moment. “This is the puzzle, but…” She glances back toward the spikes, then to you. “Here, take my hand for a moment.”

You hesitate. Do you trust this monster with your hand? It takes a long moment for you to decide, but you finally reach up and take her paw in your grip. Misty beams and begins to walk you across the spikes. They retract as she steps towards them; if you had to hazard a guess, you’d say that the path on the floor in the room behind you is the path you’re supposed to take through the spikes. When you both arrive at the end, Misty breathes a sigh of relief.

“Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now,” she mumbles, and moves on. 

You think about what just happened. You haven’t trusted someone to hold your hand like that in a long time, but Misty won you over almost immediately. Yet, you’re starting to think she doesn’t trust you to be smart by yourself. It’s a dilemma, but you’re left feeling so warm and fuzzy from the gentle contact that you don’t want to mull it over just yet. When it becomes pressing, then you’ll do something about it. You press onwards.

Misty looks a bit nervous when you approach her in the next room, as if she has something on her mind. You worry that perhaps you’d upset her. Maybe you should ask her what’s bugging her, but you’re not even sure you want to know.  _ Just ask her already. _

“Is… is something wrong?” you whisper, unsure if you’re loud enough to hear. Perfect. Maybe she’ll just ignore you.

No such luck. “Oh! No, my child, you have done excellently thus far. It is just that… I have a difficult request to ask of you.”

You feel your anxiety build. A difficult request? What on earth could she  _ mean _ by that?

“I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourself. ...forgive me for this.” Before you can respond, she’s shuffling off down the hall, and you’re left alone with suspenseful music blaring in your head. Is this for real? Is this really a difficult request?

You make your way down the corridor, your little internal soundtrack continuing on as you go. The music  _ is _ making you nervous-- what if something genuinely challenging awaits you at the end of the room? What if Misty wants you to FIGHT her…? You don’t want that. You  _ like _ Misty! At last, though, the end of the hall is in sight. You can see a large white pillar in the corner. It feels out of place among the purple mountain-chiseled surroundings.

“Greetings, my child!” You jump nearly a foot in the air at the voice, but your initial fear flees from you when Misty steps out from behind the pillar. “Do not worry, I did not leave you. I was simply behind this pillar the whole time.” 

You want to remark that yes, you noticed, but Misty’s next words cut you off and keep you quiet. “Thank you for trusting me,” she says, and you grip your sweater sleeve with your left hand. You do trust her, don’t you? Yeah. Misty notices your sudden anxiety, and gives you a reassuring smile. “There was an important reason for this exercise... to test your independence.” She sighs and shifts her weight to her left foot. “I must attend to some business, and you must stay alone for a while.”

You’re not sure you want to be alone, not here, where murderous plants lurk and creatures will attack you just for your species. Still, you know you’ll never get out if you don’t press on. You nod.

“Please remain here. It is dangerous to explore by yourself.” Oh. Misty doesn’t want you to press on, it seems. Waiting here in an empty room with nothing to fidget with seems mind-bogglingly boring, though, and you think you might die if you’re forced to.

“Oh! I have an idea,” says the collie monster, turning to rummage through her pockets. Her eyes light up as she finds what she’s looking for, and she pulls an ancient brick of a cell phone from the pocket of her dress. You’re not sure how it fit in there, but you’ve seen weirder things today.

“I will give you a CELL PHONE. If you have a need for anything, just call.” She laughs as she hands you the phone. It holds a bittersweet edge to it. You’re left standing there, pouting as she turns to leave. She parts with one last gentle request.

“Be good, all right?”


	3. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3** \- No Rock Star

You’re standing idly at the end of the hall Misty left you in. You feel like it’s been hours since she walked away, though you’re well aware it’s been only a few minutes. You tap your stick against the ground a few times, musing on what to do with yourself. Maybe you should use the CELL PHONE the collie gave you. Call her, and take a bit of the edge off waiting. Yeah, you’ll do that. You take the phone in your free hand and call Misty from your contacts. The wait for her to pick up is  _ agonizing. _

“This is Misty.” Finally!

“Hello!!” you chirp, trying to shrug off your grumpiness.

“You only wanted to say hello...?” muses the woman, her voice slightly tinny through the phone. “Well then. Hello! I hope that suffices. Hee hee.”

“It sure does,” you respond, then think to ask another question. “Tell me about yourself, Miss Misty!” You may like her a lot, but you don’t know much about her.

“You want to know more about me?” says Misty, sounding sincerely shocked. “Well, I am afraid there is not much to say. I am just a silly little lady who worries too much.”

You blink, slowly. What kind of answer is  _ that? _ An avoidant one, at best, and intentionally misleading at worst. Still, you don’t think she means any real harm by not telling you. She could even be trying to shield you. 

“Well, okay. If you say so, mom--!!” The word slips out of your mouth faster than you can stop it. You weren’t thinking about your words; talk about a Freudian slip! “I-I mean, Miss Misty.” It doesn’t help that the monster reminds you of someone you truly did care about. Stop. Don’t think about that. Keep focused on the present.

“Huh? Did you just call me… Mom?” You can practically feel Misty’s pleasant surprise and mild embarrassment through the phone. “Well… I suppose… Would that make you happy? To call me… mother?”

It’s a question you’re not expecting. You thought you would get yelled at or brushed off, but instead the woman is asking whether or not it would make  _ you _ happy to say that. Maybe it would. You nod, swallowing harshly, before remembering she can’t actually see that. “Yeah. Yeah, sure,” you say.

“Well then, call me whatever you like!” There’s a brief  _ click _ as Misty hangs up, and you’re left alone again in the empty room. 

You tap your stick against the ground again as you put your CELL PHONE away, wondering how you should feel about what just went on. It’s left you with mixed emotions, ones you don’t really understand. You think about what lies beyond this room. You think about what lies beyond the RUINS, if anything. 

You think that you might have to disobey your new mom, if you ever want to see the sun once again.

You’re not just going to stand here forever, idly waiting for your mom-friend to come back. You want to explore, and so you will. You have never been one to stick to the rules, anyways. So you drive your stick into the ground, standing to your full height-- however small that may be-- and you push yourself forward into the next room.

You can see one of those star things towards the back of the room when you step in, but before you can reach it, you get a call yourself, phone buzzing in your pocket. “Hi, mom!” you say when you pick up.

“Hello! This is Misty, hee hee. You have not left the room, have you?”

Crap. You laugh along, a touch nervously. “Uh, well--”

Misty cuts you off. “There are a few puzzles ahead that I have yet to explain. It would be dangerous to try and solve them yourself.”

Gotta think of something to say… “Um! No, I’m here.” Nailed it. That’s not quite a lie.

“Ah, very good. Be good, all right?” says Misty, hanging up after. You’re not sure if she bought it, but you think she might’ve. Possibly. Maybe. No point in dwelling on that, there’s a star calling you.

You step forward and touch the glowing object, hearing the red leaves on the ground crumple beneath your feet as you do so. Energy courses through you, rejuvenating you once again.

*** Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination.**

You smile a bit to yourself at that line. Playfully, huh? Well, you can do that. You kick up a few of the leaves, grinning when you step on them and get that satisfying crunch.  **File saved,** echoes the voice. You think you ought to give a name to these stars. Well, they have four points, and you’re saving  _ something _ when you touch them… SAVE points. Perfect.

You’re waving goodbye to the SAVE point when you turn and notice a doorway to your right. You have a feeling it’ll lead to something interesting, so you go up towards and through it. 

The next room is empty save for some ivy, as well as a single pedestal with a bowl of candy sitting atop it. There’s a notecard propped up against the bowl. You approach the pedestal and lift the card up to read it, but the print is exceedingly small. You can’t make out a word it says.

*** It says, ‘take one’. Take a piece of candy?**

There’s that voice again, helping you out. You mouth ‘thank you’ and put the notecard back, taking a candy from the bowl and pocketing it. You notice your pockets feel  _ bigger _ somehow, but you don’t mind. More space to carry things is hardly a problem, after all. Hm. If you have more space, then perhaps you could take another candy--

*** It says,** **_‘take one.’_ **

“Fine, fine!” You groan. You can’t believe you’re being scolded by a disembodied voice. In this world full of monsters and magic. (Actually, you can totally believe it.) You feel a smug presence in the air around you, and you roll your eyes. Moving right along.

You backtrack and head down towards the room you’re supposed to go through, getting into a few fights along the way. After making your way through a room in which you ‘solve’ something you could  _ maybe _ call a puzzle if you squint, you reach a point where you feel ready to take a tiny break. Naturally, just when you think that, your CELL PHONE buzzes again. Goddammit. Can’t leave Misty hanging.

“Hello? This is Misty.”

“Hiii, mom.”

“For no reason in particular, which do you prefer? Strawberry or butterscotch?”

You think upon this for a minute. Strawberries are okay, but you’ve always had a sweet tooth stronger than your fruit-eating instincts. “I like butterscotch.”

“Oh, I see. Thank you very much!” Misty hangs up.

You take no more than three steps before you receive another call. Misty’s voice crackles over the end. Sounds like she’s somewhere with poorer reception.

“You do not  _ dislike _ strawberry, do you? I know what your preference is, but… would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?”

“Oh, no! I wouldn’t mind.”

“Right, right, I understand. Thank you for being patient, by the way.”  _ Click. _ Now you feel guilty again, because you certainly aren’t being patient. You look around at the rest of the room.

There’s a rock on indentations in the floor, and some spikes blocking your way ahead. You notice a plaque on the ivy-covered wall to your left. “Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them.” That’s a weird one. But you suppose it must be important to keep in mind, if it’s on a plaque. 

You go over and shove the first rock, pushing it until it reaches a gray square platform. The platform sinks under the weight of the stone, and the spikes retract. You push ahead once more. 

The next two or three rooms are all puzzles and nothing else-- kind of boring, except for the one where you fall into holes based on where you walk. Finally, you get to a room with some more rocks. As you approach one, you end up tripping over something. You barely catch yourself from falling as the arena forms around you.

*** You tripped into a line of Moldsmal.**

Looking down at the three strange, jelly-like creatures, you’re so hypnotized by their rhythmic bobbing that you nearly forget you have an action to take. Jolting back to reality, you realize you can spare them right away, so you do that. You dust off your sweater as the room returns to normal. Getting right to work, you push the rocks onto their little platforms, one and two. When you put your hands on the last rock, however--

“WHOA, there, pardner? Who said you could push me around?”

Jumping back, you stare bug-eyed at the talking rock. Excuse you? What just happened? “Uhh-- I need you to, um, move over? Please?”

“HMM? So you’re ASKIN’ me to move over? Okay, just for you, pumpkin.” The rock shifts over… a few inches. Not exactly helpful when the switch is several feet away. You sigh, rolling your eyes.

“Maybe a little more, please?” you ask.

“HMM? Alrighty, how’s this?” The rock moves off its path to the left. You’re starting to get impatient with this contrarian slab of slag. Three out of four grey rocks recommend you push them, sure, and the fourth one is a pain in the butt about it. You give it a disapproving stare.

“HMM? That was the wrong direction? Okay, think I got it.” It moves back onto its path, then onto the switch. Hopefully that will be the end of it. You head towards the retracted spikes, only to have them jump back up in front of you just before you can cross. You toss a pointed glare in the rock’s direction; just as you thought, it had moved away again.

“HMM? You wanted me to STAY there? You’re giving me a real workout,” grumbles the rock, sliding back onto the switch. Finally, you move on-- not without casting irritated glances towards the rock every so often.

When you’re safely out of that room and into the next, you smile at the sight of a SAVE point hanging in the air. You can see a mousehole in the wall, as well as a table with a piece of cheese on it. Leaving the point for last, you investigate the table.

*** This cheese has been here quite a long time. It’s stuck to the table…**

“Ew,” you mumble to yourself as you move back towards the floating star. No cheese for you, thanks. You rest your hands on the SAVE point, feeling that energy flow through you again. You’ve begun to look forward to reaching these.

*** Knowing the mouse might one day leave its hole and get the cheese… it fills you with determination.**

You smile and shake your head. Even if it wouldn’t have before you arrived here, that thought does strengthen your belief in the mouse now. Perhaps someday, that mouse would get the cheese.

Perhaps someday, you’d find what you’re looking for.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER 4 -** The First of Many

Finding your way through these RUINS had been exhausting thus far, so you’d taken a quick break. Now, though, you crawl out from under the table and stand up, brushing any dirt off the back of your shorts. You have a mission to find Misty, and maybe leave this place, and you’re not going to complete it by simply sitting here. Taking a deep breath and holding your stick tightly, you venture out towards the next room.

There’s a ghastly white blob with a question mark shape on its head, lying on a bed of leaves and blocking your path forward. You approach it and give it a little tap with your foot. You can’t feel anything make contact, so you retract your leg. The ghost(?) stirs a bit, and opens its mouth.

“zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz… zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz (are they gone yet) zzzzzzzzzzzz…” Is this guy talking about you? You’re not sure. He was already here when you entered.

*** This ghost keeps saying “z” out loud repeatedly, pretending to sleep. Move it with force?**

There’s that voice again, chiming in when you need it. You’re presented with the option to shove it, now, and you get the feeling this ghost could lie here all day. You know you’ll feel guilty about it, but there’s just no other choice. You push at the ghost as gently as you can muster. It sits up, and the arena begins to form around you. Oh boy.

*** Here comes Sebastablook.**

Sebastablook, huh? Weird name, but you won’t press. Or maybe you will. You ACT, then CHECK the creature.

*** This monster doesn’t seem to have a sense of humor…**

“oh, i’m  _ real _ funny,” mumbles Sebastablook, as tears begin to well up in his eyes. You’re about to frantically apologize for making him cry, but then the tears climb down into the arena. Ah. They’re his attacks. You deftly avoid the first onslaught, though you get grazed by one and lose 3 HP. 

Next, you ACT and decide to CHEER him. The other options (FLIRT and THREATEN) don’t really appeal to you. You give the ghost a patient smile. He reluctantly smiles back.

“heh…” he mumbles as you wait for his next attack-- but it doesn’t come. Instead, a flashing gray message appears that reads “Really not feeling up to it right now. Sorry.” You can’t help but get a little chuckle out of that. That’s relatable.

*** Sebastablook looks just a little bit better.**

You’re pretty sure cheering helped, and your guide voice seems to agree, so you do it again. “Why did the ghost go up the escalator?” you ask. “To lift their  _ spirits! _ ” Wow. That was awful. You’re never doing that again.

“heh heh…” At least Sebastablook seems to appreciate the pun, because you get a tiny but genuine laugh out of him. Sadly, that doesn’t mean you’re exempt from his attacks, and your HP gets knocked down to 11. You feel sore, now, and almost dizzy.

*** Cheering seems to have improved Sebastablook’s mood again.**

You shake off the vertigo and smile, reaching out and patting the ghost on the head for your next action. Sebastablook blinks, looking shocked, then blushes a pale grey. “o-oh… thank you… may i… show you something?” he manages.

“Sure!” you chirp.

Magic tears well in Blook’s eyes again, but instead of falling this time, they float up. The magic unravels and rearranges itself to form a little top hat and bowtie. “i call it ‘dapper blook’... do you like it…?” he says.

You’re surprised to admit that watching the process was fascinating, and he looks really spiffy now. “Yeah, I do!” you say encouragingly.

“oh, gee…” mutters Sebastablook as the arena fades out, and you’re left in the RUINS again with him. He’s hiding his face in his nubby hands. “i usually come to the RUINS because there’s nobody around… but today i met somebody mi-- nice…” He looks up and realizes you’re still standing there. “oh, i’m rambling again… i’ll get out of your way,” he says as he fades out and vanishes before your eyes.

That was kind of adorable, you have to admit. Poor little ghost guy. You step through the spot where he had been, giving the ground where he lay a gentle pat. Now you journey forward to the next room… which happens to be a dead end.

There’s a sign in the middle of the floor, with two spider webs attached to the walls-- a big one and a little one. You approach the sign first. “Spider Bake Sale,” it reads. “All proceeds go to real spiders!” Okay, as creepy as that seems, you’re kind of curious. You trot over to the little web, careful not to step on it, and fish through your pockets for some of those gold coins you found after battles. Placing seven of them in the web, you wait for something to happen.

Some spiders crawl down from who knows where, carrying a large donut. They lift it up to you. You’re pretty sure you can see a spider leg sticking out of it, so you take it as gingerly as you can. Ew. You’re glad you don’t have arachnophobia, but you don’t think you’ll be eating that anytime soon.

Backtracking out of there, you notice a door to the side that you hadn’t before. That must be the path to progress. Taking that turn through it, you immediately run into some monsters-- one a Moldsmal, one a creature you haven’t seen before. It wears a dour expression. You SPARE the Moldsmal immediately, and the other monster’s expression immediately changes to a smile

*** Migosp doesn’t have a care in the world.**

You’re pretty sure you can SPARE Migosp too now, so you check. Sure enough, the monster’s name in the floating menu is yellow, which all sparable monsters’ names had been. You use your MERCY, and off you go.

There’s a Froggit at the end of the hall, waiting for you. You wave at it, and it waves back. “Ribbit ribbit. I have heard you are quite merciful, for a human… Surely you know by now a monster wears a  _ yellow _ name when you can SPARE it.”

You nod. “Yeah, I was just thinking about that actually!”

“Good! What  _ do _ you think of that?” says the frog monster.

“It’s very helpful,” you say. “I would get more hurt without that tell.”

“It is rather helpful. Remember, sparing is just saying you won’t fight. Maybe one day, you’ll have to do it even if a monster’s name  _ isn’t _ yellow.” The Froggit smiles and hops away.

Huh. That doesn’t really make sense to you, but you’ll keep it in mind. As you turn around to leave, you come face to face with a one-eyed, glaring monster. The arena builds again. Looks like you’ve got another new encounter to fight.

*** Loox drew near.**

“How appropriate,” you mutter as you CHECK the creature. The pun is  _ glaringly  _ obvious, even to you.

*** Don’t pick on him. Family name: Eyewalker.**

“That’s even worse--” you manage before you’re cut off. 

“Don’t pick on me,” says Loox, and you feel bad as you dodge his attacks. Whoops. Now it’s your turn again, so you ACT and staunchly refuse to pick on the creature anymore.

“Finally someone gets it,” he mutters. You get grazed by his next attack. At last, though, you can SPARE him, so you do that quick as you can.

You shake off your soreness and take a few more steps, when your cell rings again. It hasn’t done that in a while, so you scramble to pick up.

“Hello?” says Misty.

“Hi, mom!” you chime.

“I just realized it has been a while since I have cleaned up. I was not expecting to have company so soon… There are probably a lot of things lying about here and there. You can pick them up, but do not carry more than you need. Someday you might see something you really like; you will want to leave room in your pockets for that.”

“Will do.” That sounds like sound advice, actually. Managing your items… you’re used to going without, so that shouldn’t be too big a problem.

“All right, take care now,” says Misty with a smile in her voice, before she hangs up.

The next room is a return to form, with a little plaque on the wall that reads “There is just one switch.” There are a few weak floor spots-- you count six in total. You step towards the closest one and fall through the floor into the chamber below.

Picking yourself up and brushing yourself off proves a bit challenging-- your stomach’s doing somersaults. At least you landed properly this time, as opposed to when you first fell into these caverns. Still, you rise to your feet. No switch here… You do, however, spy a faded ribbon off to the side of the room. You walk over and pick it up, brushing some dust off the bow, and tie it into your hair. You have a feeling you’re a bit stronger now than you were without it. (DEF +3.) Now you climb up a conveniently located ladder back out of the hole you fell into.

The next hole you fall into has nothing of note, except for there being a dirt floor with a small green plant sticking out of the center. Curious, you move close, but before you can uproot it, the plant uproots itself! The arena forms around you.

*** Vegetoid came out of the earth.**

_ Terrifying,  _ you think as you stare at the tuber monster. You don’t even want to CHECK it-- all the actions look bad, so you pick the worst-sounding one. You’re not really sure how to convey to this carrot creature that you want  _ dinner, _ so you pat your stomach.

“Eat Your Greens,” Vegetoid says as attacks begin to bounce around your box. You notice that one attack in particular is bright green as opposed to the usual white, but despite your best efforts, you can’t reach it. Not only that, but you get hit by some other attacks in the process.

When it’s your turn, you try again, and this time, you manage to grab the green attack. When you touch it, it vanishes, and you feel a bit better-- you figure your HP went up by a marginal amount. Hurriedly, you spare the strange monster and end the battle. That was awful.

You’re low on health, you can feel it in your SOUL. You take out the candy you picked up so many rooms ago, unwrap it, and pop it in your mouth. To your pleasant surprise, it tastes completely unlike licorice. You immediately feel much better. Now you can keep hunting for the switch.

The next hole you try has nothing in it-- nothing except a ghost guy. “i fell down a hole… now i can’t get up…” says Sebastablook. “go on without me…”

You give him a slow blink. “Can’t ghosts fly? I’m pretty sure that’s a thing.”

“...they can, can’t they… oh well…” he mumbles and fades out again. While a nice encounter, that wasn’t what you were looking for, so you climb the ladder back up and try another hole.

Lo and be- _ holed, _ this one has the switch. You flick it, hearing the distant scrape of metal against stone, spikes retracting into the earth up above. Time to climb upwards and onwards.

There’s another plaque in the next room. “The far door is not an exit. It simply marks a rotation in perspective.” You look around the room you’re currently in. It houses three white pillars with blue, red, and green switches placed near each of them. You’ve solved similar puzzles before, in the books you were left with when your family wanted you quiet. You’re pretty sure you know what to do here. You enter the far door.

In the first room, you read the plaque on the wall. “If you’re reading this, press the blue switch.” You saw the blue switch when you came in, so you go over there, interrupted by a fight along the way. You take a bit of damage during that, but make it out safely. You press the blue switch and move on.

The next room’s plaque reads, “If you’re reading this, press the red switch.” It takes you a bit to find this one-- it’s hidden behind the pillar, obscured from your line of sight at first-- but you manage to locate it, only for a fight to leave you hurt and a bit woozy. You really don’t trust that donut, so for now you don’t eat it; you merely hope you won’t get into another encounter you can’t run from. You press the red switch and move on.

The final room’s plaque says, “If you’re reading this, press the green switch.” 

You’re fighting a Migosp and a Vegetoid when it happens. The surge of pain that runs through your body when it collides with Migosp’s attack is like none you’ve ever felt. It feels like your whole being is tearing itself apart.  _ CRRK--  _ your SOUL splits in half.

Then there’s only darkness.

… 

… 

… 

A voice you have never heard before echoes.

_ “You cannot give up just yet…” _

_ “Mia! Stay determined!” _


	5. Chapter 5

**CHAPTER 5** \- Welcome Home

Your eyes flutter open. You blink, a few times, trying to make sense of the hazy scenery around you. Where are you? Likely still in the RUINS, if the purple stone walls and floor are any indication. There’s a hole at the bottom of the far wall, and a table with some cheese on it-- and a SAVE point. Could… could you have been sent  _ back? _ You died, you’re sure of it; and yet you are here, still breathing, physically fine. You can’t forget the pain you felt, though-- it still courses through you like a phantom, just below your skin.

If you really have been sent back to your last interaction with the floating stars, there’s not a lot of ways to prove this hypothesis. As much as you don’t want to move forward right now, you force yourself to-- you have to find out what really happened just now. Sure enough, Sebastablook is still laying there in the next room, waiting for you to come along and disturb him. This is unnerving, to say the least. Still, you have an objective. And with a new chance at success being handed to you, why look a gift horse in the mouth?

You go through the same motions you did last time, keeping as much to your previous script as possible. You help Sebastablook, you buy a Spider Donut, pick up the ribbon you found-- everything. Even the phone call from Misty is the same. You really have been sent back in time.

At last, you reach the room you were in when you died, with full HP this time. Pressing the green switch retracts the spikes that impeded your progress. You’re finally free to move forward, and you let yourself relax a little in response. You’ve forged a new path.

You wonder how much more of the RUINS there is to explore. It’s been quite a while since you fell, since the first room, and you think you might be getting close to the end. You wish you could see Misty again. No time for that now, though. You spy a Froggit at the end of the corridor you’re in and approach it.

“Ribbit ribbit. Just between you and me, I saw Misty come out of this door--” it gestures to a doorway nearby-- “just a little while ago. She was carrying some groceries.”

“Groceries?” you muse. “What were they for?”

“I didn’t ask…” the Froggit says with a nervous croak of a laugh. “We’re all too intimidated to talk to her. Ribbit.”

You think back to how she glared at the first Froggit you fought, and nod sagely. That makes sense. You wave goodbye to the monster, and head up into the door it’s standing by.

The view is breathtaking.

You’re standing on a ledge overlooking the rest of the RUINS, dark buildings with harsh, beautiful shadows cast over them. You doubt you will ever get to see what they hold, but really, you’re okay with that. You’d probably ruin the sanctity of the place. You stare for a good few minutes before tearing your gaze away and to your left.

There’s a little plastic knife laying on the floor. It looks stronger than your stick, as much as you appreciate your current weapon. Even though you haven’t used it. Should you trade it in? You weigh the decision in your mind, before coming to a conclusion. You put the stick on the ground and give it a little pat. The toy knife is yours now. Still, it’s a shame… you really liked that stick.

This appears to be a dead end, for your purposes anyway, so you backtrack. The corridor you were in before opens out into a large room with a patch of red leaves on the ground, as well as a center door. Your sense of finality intensifies as you get close. You’ve already lost once-- might as well keep going. As you move through the center door, though, your bleak thoughts are shaken away by a kind and familiar voice.

“Oh dear, that took longer than I thought it would,” says Misty as she approaches from behind a large, barren tree growing through the stone floor. She takes out her phone to call someone--  _ you, _ you’re assuming-- then notices you, her eyes going wide. The collie monster runs to you, worry evident in her expression.

You feel the need to try and reassure her. “Hi, mom, I’m okay.”

“How did you  _ get _ here, my child? Are you hurt?” murmurs Misty. She looks you up and down. “Not a scratch… Impressive! But still…” She’s fretting over you now, trying to tame your messy hair. You don’t think you can tell her you still feel the lingering pain of death. “I should not have left you alone for so long. It was irresponsible to try to surprise you like this.” 

You blink slowly. “Surprise me?” you say with a tilt of your head.

Misty looks embarrassed. “Err… Well, I suppose I cannot hide it any longer. Come, small one!” She beckons you to follow her, then moves away past the tree again. You shake your head with a smile and take off after her.

She’s walked into a cozy-looking little house by the time you reach it. There’s a SAVE point right outside the door, to your relief. You let the feeling of determination wash away the phantom pain.

*** Seeing such a cute, tidy house in the RUINS gives you determination. File saved.**

Smiling, you stretch a bit and head inside this little home.

Upon entering, you’re met with warm, sweet air and music played gently on a guitar. Everything in the house is peaceful, colored in a soft tan. There’s a delicious smell coming from somewhere to your left; something sugary must be in the oven. Being here makes you feel  _ safe, _ and that almost makes you want to cry. Misty is waiting in front of a long downward staircase.

“Do you smell that?” she says, smile evident in her voice and her eyes. “Surprise! It is a strawberry-butterscotch pie.”

Your eyes light up. “Really?”

“Yes! I thought we might celebrate your arrival.” Misty lifts a paw to scratch at her ear. “I want you to have a nice time living here. So, I will hold off on snail pie for tonight.” She giggles.

Snail pie? That sounds more than a little weird, but you don’t say anything about it. You’re just appreciating how generous Misty is being. You nod with gusto.

“Here, I have another surprise for you,” says the collie monster. She walks off into a hall to the right. You follow along at her heels, excited to see what she’s got for you. When she notices you, Misty takes your hand and guides you to a little door. Her voice is fond when she next speaks. “This is it… A room of your own. I hope you like it!”

You’re left speechless as Misty places a paw to your hair and ruffles it. Your own little room-- unbelievable. You could almost forget that you have to leave the RUINS at some point. ...Oh. You have to leave the RUINS at some point.

Misty suddenly sniffs the air. “Is something burning? Um, make yourself at home!” she says before rushing off to the kitchen. You’re left alone to explore the hall, and the rooms attached to it. You’ll save your room for last.

There’s a tall plant on the right side of your room’s door, towering stalks with long brown things at the end. You move up close to it, poking at the dirt it’s settled in. You could swear you’ve seen this plant before, but you don’t remember its name. Hm. You’ll have to ask Misty later.

The middle door in the hallway leads to a blue-toned room. This must be the collie’s room-- everything in it seems to indicate as such. There’s a bucket near a long desk, and the desk supports a bunch of papers and a book with a passage circled. A big bed sits in the corner, a bookshelf sits against the wall. There’s also a cactus beside the door. You check each item one by one, starting with the bucket.

*** Just a regular old bucket of snails.**

You laugh a little, mostly out of surprise. You hadn’t expected the voice to show up in a place like this, but you won’t deny it’s kind of nice to hear it now. You move up to the desk, trying to distance yourself from the slime that bucket must contain. Looking at the book resting on the desk, you determine that it is Misty’s diary. You guess you can at least read the circled passage… nobody will know, right?

*** Why did the rabbit want a friend? Because she was feeling BUN-ly.**

You roll your eyes at the joke written there. That’s a bit of a stretch, you think.

*** The rest of the page is filled with jokes of a similar caliber.**

Okay, moving right along. You check the bed, patting it lightly with your hands. Feels like a bed. It’s definitely bigger than a twin-size… Now you walk over to the bookshelf, removing a book from the highest shelf you can comfortably reach. It’s an encyclopedia of subterranean plants. You open to the middle.

*** “Typha” - A group of wetland flowering plants with brown, oblong seed pods.**

*** Known more commonly as “water sausages”.**

You smile to yourself as the voice reads the passage out loud. It’s very helpful, to your surprise, for understanding the words. You were having trouble with reading before you fell, so you’re glad for the help. Putting the book back neatly on the shelf, you wander over to the cactus. The moment you get close, you hear your guide chime again.

*** Ahh, the cactus. Truly the most** **_tsundere_ ** **of plants.**

What. “What does that even mean?” you mutter to yourself.

*** Don’t question it.**

“Oh, I’m questioning it,” you say with a barely disguised smirk in your voice as you step outside and into the hall again. You can see another door up ahead with a sign on it-- moving closer reveals that it says “Room Under Renovations”. There’s also a similar plant to the one outside your room. This time, when you poke at the dirt in its pot, the voice pipes up.

*** Oh! It is a “water sausage”.**

You can’t help but laugh a little at the way it’s said, and the presence around you warms a bit. It looks like making you smile was your guide’s goal for that one. Lifting your head, you realize you’re standing in front of a mirror. You stare at your face, lifting your hand to rub the heart-shaped birthmark on your cheek. You stick your tongue out at yourself for a moment.

*** It’s you!**

“It’s me,” you say with a slight smile. It would always be you. You decide to head back to your room.

When you open the door, you’re struck by how soft and red-tinted the place looks. It’s pretty-- you’re impressed. And to think this room is all yours! You notice a box labeled “TOYS” at the foot of the bed, and peer inside.

*** Look at these cool toys! They don’t interest you at all.**

The voice is right-- none of them look like puzzles, so your attention isn’t grabbed by them. You lift your arms above your head, stretching and yawning. You’ve had a long day of trekking-- first up the mountain, then through the RUINS. Maybe you ought to rest a bit.

Kicking off your shoes, you lay down in the bed, pulling up the covers around you. It’s warm, and smells like fabric softener. You feel cozy, almost  _ safe _ tucked in like this. As sleep overtakes you, you smile.


End file.
